The "Insider's Guide to IT Certification" has one goal: to provide you with a how-to manual that helps you conserve your resources (i.e., your time and money) while you become certified. This book will provide guidelines for choosing the best study guides, help you save hundreds of dollars, and suggest ways you can become successful in IT. The amount of time you spend reading this book will be more than made up by the time you save preparing for your certification exams.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Section 1
Certifcation Overview
Why Am I Getting Certified?
Is the Certification Path I Plan to Pursue Right for Me?
How Do I Know Which Area to Pick?
Are My Expectations About
Certification Realistic?
What Certifications Are Available to Me?
The Danger of Getting too Many Certifications
Confused? Get Help With Your Decision
The Last Word About Choosing a Certification
Section 2
Certification Blueprint
How Ready Am I?
How Do I Determine How Much I
Already Know?
Choosing a Study Method
Method 1: Classes at CTEC or AATP
Method 2: Boot Camps/Classes at Independent Training Centers
Method 3: Computer-Based Training or Web-Based Training
Method 4: Practice Exams
Method 5: Study Guides
Method 6: Home Networks
Method 7: Internet Resources
Summarizing the Study Methods
The Power of Setting Goals
I’ve Set My Goals. Now What?
Section 3
Certification Materials
Straw
Braindumps
Pirated Software
Sticks
Low-quality study guides
Low-Quality Practice Exams
Low-Quality Certification Web sites
Bad Training Centers or Boot Camps
Bricks
Classroom Training and Boot Camps
Computer- or Web-Based Training
Practice Exams
Study Guides
Home Networks
Internet Resources
Section 4
Certification Exams
Employing Proper Study Methods
Test Week
Test Day
Before You Get to the Testing Center
At the Testing Center
The Exam Itself
After the Exam
Section 5
Total Success in IT
Becoming an ACE
Academics
Certification
Experience
The Power of Vicarious Experience
The Step-by-Step Challenge
Real-World Reading
Organizing Your Inbox and Your Life
Ways to Work Less
The Job Game
The Importance of Being “Soft”
Make a Mint in IT
Learning to Model
Be Smart with Your Money
Money Isn’t Everything
Appendix A Exercise Workbook
Appendix B URLs to Sites Mentioned in This Book
